Tag: california

About a year ago, I was browsing around on Google Maps (one of my favorite ways to discover new places to explore in my backyard), saw the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve in Newport Beach, and randomly decided to drive there. I’m a huge fan of simply being outdoors, and absolutely love the place. Recently,… More Destination appreciation: Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve

As much as I try to be health conscious when it comes to eating, there’s one guilty pleasure that’s I practically always fail to resist. Chamorro food. I previously wrote about how I grew up on a beautiful Pacific island called Saipan that I took for granted for the time I lived there. But one… More Why you should go to Chamorro Grill

Every time I come across anything that has to do with sustainable lifestyles and caring for the planet, I nerd out. Sometimes I strike my own self as strange for lighting up every time I visit places with recycling bins and compost piles. But it really is important to take care of the planet. How… More OMG! An eco-conscious hostel in Orange County

I’ve visited the Philippines a good number of times in the past twenty-something years, and have inevitably gotten from point A to point B using the most widespread form of public transportation in the country: a jeepney. So when I found out that 1 of 8 jeepneys in the United States was right in Los… More Tour Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown in a Philippine jeepney!

With Downtown LA’s skyline and the 110 freeway among the most popular subjects when photographing the City of Angels, it can be hard to associate Los Angeles with Victorian architecture. But in the late 1800s, houses built in Southern California reflected the time period of the Victorian Era (1837 to 1901). Many of these historic buildings… More Time travel back to the Victorian Era at Heritage Square Museum

The Central Coast might be three hours north of Los Angeles, but there’s a way to get the vibe of that region without going too far. In San Pedro, it’s incredible how it hardly feels like the City of Angels. It’s easy to mistake it as a place in Santa Barbara or even somewhere in Northern California.… More Destination appreciation: Angels Gate & Point Fermin Park

Spring, summer, fall and winter aren’t as pronounced in Southern California as they are in other parts of the United States. As of this post, it’s supposed to be fall, but just two weeks ago, temperatures were in the 90s. In search of a place in California with an east coast and autumn feel, I… More Feel the East Coast on the West Coast in Oak Glen, California

If the apocalypse happened, I honestly have no clue what the world would look like. Yet even without knowing or even giving that scenario any serious thought, being at Salvation Mountain immediately made me feel like the area could be a post-apocalyptic space… More A day trip to Salvation Mountain & the Salton Sea

America turned 239 this past weekend and I was able to spend it at a destination that could probably be considered kind of odd given the occasion. Yep – I spent Independence Day 2015 in the desert. My friend pitched the idea of a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park less than a week… More From Joshua Tree: Happy birthday, America!

If there’s one thing worth doing in California, it’s driving up along the Central Coast. With the grandeur of the coast, it’s impossible not to appreciate the Golden State. As much as I love writing blog posts, I find it incredibly challenging to describe in words why taking a trip along the Golden State’s Pacific… More A visual log of reasons to visit California’s Central Coast